124 Inquiries into Human Faculty
individual who sees them. ‘The influence of the -mood of the moment is show-n- in- the curves that are -felt appropriate to the various emotions, as the lank drooping lines- of grief; which make the weeping willow so—fit an- emblem of it. - In constructing fire-faces it seems to me that the eye in its wanderings tends to follow a favourite course, ‘and it especially dwells upon the marks that happen to coincide with that course. It feels its way, easily diverted by associations based ‘on what has just been noticed, until at last, by the unconscious practice of a’ -system of “trial and error,” it hits upon a track that will suit—one that -is easily run over and that strings together accidental marks in a way that happens to form a wellconnected picture. This -fancy picture is then dwelt upon; all that is incongruous with it becomes disregarded, while all deficiencies in it are supplied by the fantasy. The latest stages of the process might be represented by a diorama. Three lanterns would converge on the same screen. The first throws an image of what the imagination will discard, the ‘second of that which’ it will retain, the third of that which —it willsupply. Turn on the first and second, and the picture on the screen will be identical with that which fell on the retina. Shut off the first and turn on the third, and the picture will be identical with the illusion.
Turner the painter made frequent use of a practice analogous to that of looking for fire-faces in the burning coals he was known to give colours to children to daub in play on paper, while -he keenly watched for suggestive but accidental combinations. -
I have myself had frequent experience of the automatic construction of fantastic figures, through a practice I have somewhat encouraged for the purpose, of allowing my hand to scribble at its own will, while I am giving my best attention to what -is being said by others, as at small committees. It is always a surprise to me to see the result whenever I turn -my thoughts’ on what I have been subconsciously doing! I can rarely recollect even a few of the steps by which the drawings were made ; they grew piecemeal,-with some almost forgotten’ notice, from-time to time, of the sketch as a whole. I can trace -no likeness between what I draw and the images that present themselves to me
